Mizushima Rinki Railway MRT 300 series

Data (as of 31 Mar 2024)

History

MRT 300 series is a part ofNDC family, which was developed by Niigata Engineering (defunct in 2007). Mizushima Rinkai Railway introduced the series to replace KiHa 20 series transferred from JR West and JR Shikoku, as these old diesel trains were more than 30 years old at that time. NDC diesel trains were tend to be smaller than other trains as they have been mostly used for rural lines. However, Mizushima Rinkai Railway serves a factory district in Kurashiki (Okayama Prefecture), meaning that trains are heavily used by workers so that the MRT 300 series is as large as ordinary trains.

The MRT 300 series is compatible with driver-only operation and capable of running at 95 km/h (approx. 60 mph), though it usually runs slower than that. Nos. 303-306 have been painted blue with a picture of sunflowers.

Current Operations & Future Prospects

The MRT 300 series is used on Mizushima Main Line, the only available line for passengers. Services are formed of two coaches at peak times. All trains on the Line are provided by the MRT 300 series during off-peak times including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Photos

"Himawari Train", which means sunflower in Japanese.

No. 303 was repainted red and dark blue in 2020.